The Beast Master
by dunktheniffler
Summary: Estelle Prewette has been visited by strange dreams that carry a message she is determined to figure out. Dangerous beasts are finding themselves in the school ground without any explanation as to how they arrived. Someone is coming and Estelle must be ready to meet them. Rated T for violence, relationships and mild language. Random upadates, at least twice a week.
1. Chapter 1

Estelle Prewette was at the Burrow for the first time in years. She had loved the house and those who lived there as a young girl. She should have been happy to be there. However, her return to the Burrow was under circumstances that left little space for happiness.

Her father, Augustus Prewette had been Molly Weasley's nephew. Her mother, a French woman, had been responsible for somewhat of a falling out between them, causing Estelle to miss her yearly summer visit year after year. Her parents had been discovered dead at the Department of Mysteries, their place of work. Their deaths had been put down to an experimental spell gone badly wrong and had been responsible for Estelle's long-awaited return to the Burrow.

Having no other living family, Estelle had been sent to the Burrow for the summer holidays, where she awkwardly interacted with James Potter, a Gryffindor student who often pelted her and her friends with magically propelled paper as they worked in the library, and dodged around the famous Harry Potter, who was convinced that she needed emotional support, most likely at the prompting of Molly, who possessed the idea that losing one's parents at an early age was prime bonding material. It wasn't as though she didn't appreciate it, but Estelle hardly knew Harry and always got the impression that he felt rather awkward about badgering her with Molly's handed-down concerns.

Well meaning distant relatives aside and family tragedies aside, Estelle was pleased to be back at the Burrow. She had missed the crazy, messy, full of life house that was so far from her own. She liked playing quidditch with the many, many kids that seemed to appear out of nowhere. She liked venturing into Ottery St. Catchpole with Teddy and Victoire. Everything Estelle had done was so far different from how she normally spent her summers that it offered little room for melancholia. And yet, Estelle found herself looking over to see her father's reaction when George and his merry band of nieces and nephews did something particularly funny. She found herself looking over to her mother when Molly and Fleur began to argue. But they weren't there. She did her best to push down what sadness lingered from her parents' death the previous May. After all, school was starting in a matter of weeks and Estelle was coming into her fifth year and needed to focus on her O.W.L.s. As much as her Ravenclaw coping mechanisms seemed ridiculous to Molly and the rest of the Weasleys, Estelle found that the best way to move past anything was simply to ignore any emotions that came with it and focus on the facts. And the facts were clear. There was nothing she could do.

Her days at the Burrow had passed quickly and soon September was upon them. Estelle, however had had all enthusiasm for the school year robbed from her mind by a strange dream the night before. She had found herself alone, in shifting surroundings that appeared blurred as though Estelle had a screen surrounding her. As she walked, she heard an odd noise coming from beneath her and looked down to see long forgotten remains that resembled human bone structures. Maintaining her Ravenclaw tendencies even in dreams, Estelle, after getting over the initial shock of looking down to see bones, bent down and gently prodded a femur. The bone crumbled, though not in the way she expected it to. It seemed to turn into something dark and sticky. Upon closer examination, Estelle found it to be thick, dark blood, the redness hidden from her by the darkness of her surroundings. Swallowing her horror, Estelle regained her feet and continued on.

As she walked, the shroud that seemed to shield the environment from her view melted away, revealing a dark, twisted forest. At first glance, the place resembled the Forbidden Forest on the Hogwarts grounds, but as she continued on, Estelle realized it was far too cold and dark, even at night to be the Forest she was slightly too familiar with. Suddenly, Estelle heard a voice. It was joined by more, then faded to one again. The voice sounded familiar, yet unfamiliar, aspects of it reminding her of her friends, her parents, but at the same time sounding so different from anything she had ever heard in a way that made her stop in her tracks.

"He's coming," the voice hissed ominously.

She felt for her wand, but it was gone. Estelle stumbled through the trees with renewed haste, her curiosity replaced with fear. As she tore through the forest, the branches seemed to grow thicker, catching on her long brown hair and scratching her face as she ran. The voice continued to echo throughout the forest, but Estelle heard no footsteps or any indication that someone was following her. Suddenly, she burst through a thick clump of bushes to find herself in a large clearing. The full moon could be seen even though Estelle knew it wasn't astronomically correct. She stopped running as she saw another person standing on the opposite edge of the clearing. He was tall and thin, but Estelle couldn't judge any other features for he wore a long, hooded cloak that hid his face and was partly concealed in the darkness of the trees. The voices stopped. The forest and become eerily quiet, the noises of wind and animals moving through the trees gone. Estelle jolted awake just as the stranger reached up to remove his hood.

Estelle reflexively snatched her wand from her bedside table and pointed it around the room in panic until she realized that she was alone. Soaked in sweat, she lay back down in her bed, gasping, as she struggled to comprehend what had happened. The dream had seemed strangely real. She had been somewhere she had never seen before, somewhere she hadn't even seen pictures of. Pulling herself out of the camp bed that had been placed in the attic that was now empty of a ghoul, she walked over to her bookshelf and pulled a barely used copy of _Unfogging the Future,_ a textbook that she had pulled from the shelves of Flourish and Blotts in a moment of sheer curiosity before instantly regretting the purchase. Though Estelle quite firmly believed that the subject of Divination was rather ridiculous, she was willing to resort to desperate measures to find an explanation. She thumbed through the book, looking a little into each of the elements of her dream and finding only gruesome predictions of death and violent murder. Rolling her eyes, Estelle pushed the book back onto the shelf and instead reached for the magical atlas she had been reading the day before. The atlas gave a few options that appeared to be similar to her dream, but none seemed to fit properly. Considering all she had to go on was 'forest', 'dark' and 'cold' Estelle was a little surprised that she had actually found anything worthwhile.

Pulling her wavy hair up to a bun, Estelle tugged two volumes of a magical history and a thick book of mythology from their shelves, hoping to find some forgotten creature or wizard within them that had inspired the dream. She settled herself into her chair after pulling a sweatshirt on to block out the cold of the attic and began to read. She hardly knew what to look for and the general idea of the man she had seen yielded many possible choices. Voldemort, for example, was often described as tall and thin and wore a cloak or long, trailing robes. Once again nothing seemed to fit what she had seen - no imagined, Estelle told herself, refusing to be so ignorant as to assume that the dream was real.

It could have be Leginimency, Estelle realized with a start, before dismissing the idea. Leginimens were very rare and who would want to use the power on her? Shaking her head slightly, she sank back into her chair and her book, determined to discern what had happened before the rest of the house awoke in matter of hours to disrupt her contemplation with the sound of their footsteps.


	2. Chapter 2

p id="docs-internal-guid-b443ad88-7bf1-7caa-2931-3e9e30aa296c" dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Estelle crawled from the mountain of books that had been piled around her chair throughout the night as she had more and more ideas and speculations about her dream to answer the sharp rapping on the trapdoor. She let down the ladder and slid down it to greet Molly Weasley who was looked particularly harried. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "You're not dressed yet? Hurry up! We'll be late!" Mrs. Weasley squawked, now hurrying around the small, orange room, picking up possessions of her grandchildren./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "What do you mean?" Estelle mumbled, rubbing tiredness from her eyes./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "The train! We'll miss it! Go get dressed!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, pushing Estelle back up the ladder as best she could with her arms full of books and socks./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Now realizing what she meant, Estelle scrambled up the ladder and pulled on a pair of jeans, a Disney tee-shirt her friend Jess had sent her for her birthday and yet another hoodie. She hurriedly stuffed an armful of books into her trunk, which had been thankfully packed the day before. Estelle grabbed her hairbrush where it lay discarded on the floor and ran it through her hair five or six times before giving up and tossing the brush into her full trunk. Struggling with the clasp of her overstuffed trunk, Estelle looked around the room for anything she might have forgotten before snapping the silver clasp shut, snatching her wand from the seat of the chair and grabbing an another armful of books that might help her to decipher her dream. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Estelle tugged her trunk towards the trapdoor and threw it down onto the empty bed in the room below before leaping down the ladder herself. Dragging the trunk from the bed, Estelle dashed down the narrow, rickety flights of stairs, bursting through the doorway into the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley was hurriedly tying a large package onto the leg of a very elderly, feeble looking owl. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Honestly, Errol, stop falling asleep!" Mrs. Weasley said to the bird, grabbing it by the tail feathers as he plummeted off the table yet again. "Oh, good, you're ready," she said, turning as Estelle smashed through the doorway with her heavy trunk. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" With far too many pieces of toast stuffed into her hand, Estelle followed Mrs. Weasley, who was levitating Estelle's trunk in front of her, to a small, red Ford Escort that's boot popped open as they neared the car. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Mrs. Weasley directed the trunk into the boot of the car, which closed by itself before yelling, "Arthur, we'll be late!" in the direction of the house. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Mr. Weasley hurried across the untidy garden wearing a baggy golfing sweater, breathing heavily under the added weight of a series of packages, which he tossed into the back seat, before clambering in and starting the vehicle. Mrs. Weasley joined him in the front of the car while Estelle climbed into the large backseat, which was rather wider than it should have been. Mr. Weasley shot a nervous look at the time on the dash before looking appealingly at his wife, who was already glaring at him as though she could tell what he was thinking and didn't like it one bit. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Molly, dear, you don't think - "/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No, Arthur, I do think. I can't believe you've put another enchantment on a car after what happened with Harry and Ron!" Mrs. Weasley said sharply, before turning to Estelle in the backseat. "In their third - no second year at Hogwarts, Harry and Ron…"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" She trailed into a half disapproving, half reminiscent retelling of Harry, Ron and Hermione's many (in her opinion) foolish exploits at school and Estelle tried her best to listen politely, but without a heavy book in balanced carefully against her knees, it was all Estelle could do to keep her eyes open. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Now, dear, you're dropping your toast!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, breaking Estelle from her doze. "Do hurry up and eat that, we're nearly there!"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Estelle looked out the window to find herself in the streets of Muggle London and saw the familiar shape of the British Library outside the window. Hurriedly stuffing her toast into her mouth, Estelle, nodded along to Mrs. Weasley's series of reminders for her coming year at Hogwarts. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "And remember, study hard, this is your O.W.L. year after all, and they make such an impact on your career!" Mrs. Weasley finished, just as the car stopped. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" They climbed out of the car, Mr. Weasley pulling Estelle's heavy trunk from the car for her as Mrs. Weasley grabbed the many packages containing her grandchildren's missing possessions before hurrying across the street and into the station. With a glance at the clock, Estelle realized she had barely ten minutes to spare and they walked through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾ at a pace that caused Muggle onlookers to squint disapprovingly at them. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" As they stopped close to the train, Estelle turned to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, "Thank you for everything," she said with sincerity./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Oh, of course, dear!" Mrs. Weasley said, pulling Estelle into a rib-cracking hug. "We'll see you at Christmas!"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Good-bye!" Estelle called over her shoulder as she turned to board the train. She dragged her trunk up the steps and through the train as she made her way to her usual compartment, the one that emptied closest to the carriages at Hogsmeade station. As Estelle walked through the train, she caught her share of sympathetic glances from those who had heard about the death of her parents the school year previous. She had never wanted anything more than to be able to travel invisibly through the train and was seriously contemplating casting a Disillusion Charm on herself when the sight of Jess' curly hair sticking out from a compartment caught her eye. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Jess!" Estelle called to her, relieved to see one of her best friends./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Estelle! We've been wondering where you were! Come on, let's get to the compartment before the firsties start swarming," she said, pulled Estelle's trunk from her hand and leading her along the steadily filling corridor, chatting happily as they went. Jessica Picquery was a tall, dark skinned girl with amber coloured eyes framed by bright blue square shaped glasses and a mass of curly brown hair that bounced around her shoulders as she walked. She was the great great granddaughter of Seraphina Picquery, the President of MACUSA, and had grown up in America, but moved to London with her family when her Muggle father had been offered a job opportunity. Growing up in America under stricter laws about association with Muggles had made it difficult on Jess' family and they were happy to live within a more accepting wizarding community. Her father being a Muggle had impacted Jess enormously and under his influence, she had become a pop culture nerd, reading strange books that made little sense to Estelle like /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The Lord of the Rings /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"or /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The Lunar Chronicles/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;". She still liked them, though, even if they were odd. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Jess pushed open the door of their compartment to reveal Rilla Cooper, another of Estelle's closest friends at Hogwarts, a thinner girl with straight chocolate brown hair that stretched down to her elbows. The trunks piled into the luggage rack revealed that their other friends, Ashton Walker and Mark Green, two boys in their year from Slytherin had already arrived. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "You'd better put on your robes!" Rilla said to Estelle, "The meeting starts as soon as the train pulls out."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "The prefect meeting! Oh my God! I'd forgotten!" Estelle exclaimed, throwing open her trunk and digging through it attempting to find her robes and badge. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Here we go," said Jess, catching Estelle's robes from the air as she tossed them out of the trunk. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Estelle changed quickly and pinned her badge to her chest, stabbing her finger as Jess and Rilla pushed the rumpled mess of objects back into her trunk. Just as Estelle burst out swearing, Mark and Ashton pulled open the compartment door. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Such words!" Ashton said, pretending to be shocked at the stream of foul language that seemed to make an appearance quite often within the Ravenclaw Common Room. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" They all laughed, Rilla a little harder than was necessary, earning her a curious look from both Jess and Estelle. When the boys had taken their seats, the noise of the warning whistle sounded throughout the platform. There was only a few minutes until the train left the station and the corridor was filled with students rushing up and down to say last goodbyes to parents or find friends that they hadn't seen since June. Estelle hurriedly snatched her brush from the top of her open trunk and began running it through her hair in an attempt to make it look as though she'd been awake for more than an hour. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Just as the last whistle sounded, another boy pushed open the door. The last in their group of friends, Jacob Wright stood in the doorway, dressed in Ravenclaw robes with his prefect badge pinned over his heart and his messy hair in his eyes./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Blinking heavily and brushing his hair away from his face, Jacob began, "Sorry I was late to meet you guys, I was -"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Reading," the group finished for him, amused smirks on their faces./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Such bad behaviour from prefects today!" Jess exclaimed cheerfully./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Why? What has Estelle done?" Jacob asked, seeming a little wary./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "The usual," replied Jess./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Nonsensical stream of curses," Mark clarified./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Ah, the Ravenclaw special!" Jacob said, grinning. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Rolling her eyes and yawning, Estelle tossed her brush back into her trunk and stood up, "We'd better go, the meeting is starting soon."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Right," replied Jacob and they walked back out into the corridor after pushing his trunk into the compartment. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" However, after they had escaped the sight of their friends, Jacob pulled Estelle to the side of the nearly empty corridor. "Are you alright? You know, with your parents and everything?" he asked softly, so no curious stragglers would overhear him./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Estelle found herself blushing, though she didn't know why, "I-I'm fine."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Really?" he asked, looking into her eyes./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Estelle nodded, chewing her lips as she stepped a little farther away from him against her instinct. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" They continued down the corridor to the front of the train, Estelle still rubbing sleep from her eyes as they went. When the reached the first carriage, Estelle and Jacob found the prefects gathering around the Head Boy and Girl who were giving instructions and assigning patrols. They continued to talk as Jacob listened attentively and Estelle began to fall asleep against a wall. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Suddenly, Estelle found herself being pulled to her feet. She turned to see Jacob hauling her from the wall as the rest of the prefects filed back into the corridor./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Did you sleep through that whole thing?" he asked, shaking his head and smiling at her. "Come on, we're patrolling until thirteen hundred."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Did they say anything important?" Estelle asked groggily as she followed Jacob into the corridor. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Nothing even mildly interesting," he replied, leading them down the train./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Why'd you even pay attention, then? I don't think this whole 'respect for authority' thing will last very long, Jacob."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Got to pretend that what they say is interesting, at least for a little while. And I respect authority."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Sure, except for literally any authority figure who sets or enforces a rule that could possibly conflict with your curiosity," said Estelle./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "So every member of the staff, then. Yeah, I don't really know how I got to be a prefect," laughed Jacob./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "You're good at talking us out of things."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "I am, thank you very much. And don't think you're so innocent. Who wanted to drink an untested adaptation of a hair colour changing potion while on illegal Polyjuice?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "I did test it! A little," said Estelle, "Okay, not at all, but it worked, didn't it?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Just a second," Jacob said, reaching across Estelle to open a compartment door, "Hey, mate, Fanged Fidget-Spinners are banned. Be a lad and toss it."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" The third year boy rolled his eyes and chucked the toy to Jacob, who caught it deftly, ignoring the fangs that bit into his hand and slipped it into his pocket. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Sliding the door shut, Jacob said to Estelle, "Think of the Charms we could put on this!"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Speed Charm on the axis. Fire-Containment Charm on the ends with /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Incendio/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "But how would the fangs react to fire?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "We're such good prefects."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No one more responsible."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" They continued down the train, helping first years, confiscating many illicit objects, much of which had come from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. They saw some of their classmates, a few of which stopped to talk and encountered James and Albus Potter, the latter receiving a friendly nod, the former cheerfully handing over a wide assortment of prank enhancers found both in his hands and in the pockets of his robes before sending them off with a barrage of paper. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" As Jacob and Estelle neared their compartment, both of them still shaking paper wads from their hair, at last finished with prefect duty, Jess stuck her head out into the corridor to look at them before ducking back inside and calling to the rest of their group, "They're coming!"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Her voice seemed to echo through Estelle's head, ringing through her mind over and over again until it became one of the many voices combined to make the single one that had haunted her dreams the night before. The ominous proclamation of the stranger's coming overtook Estelle's other thoughts and she halted in her tracks. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Jacob turned to look at her, "Are you good?" he asked, still smiling from their last joke. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Estelle looked nervously over her shoulder and saw only a Hufflepuff sixth year venturing to another compartment, "I- Yeah, I just thought…" she trailed off, realizing how ridiculous she would sound to the logical Ravenclaw. "I'll tell you later," she said, slipping inside the compartment, which was now empty of Mark who routinely left their gatherings to meet with his girlfriend, Ella Fawley, another Slytherin./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "What kind of cool stuff did you guys confiscate?" Ashton asked, eyes gleaming mischievously./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Half the stock of Weasley's, three quarters of Zonko's and a piece of chocolate Estelle swiped from Paisley when she wasn't looking," said Jacob, emptying his pockets into Ashton's hands, which were not quite big enough to hold everything, resulting in many of the objects falling to the floor. "I have to turn in at least half of that though, so pick the most interesting of the lot and toss it back over."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" They flopped into the last remaining seats that weren't obscured by luggage./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "What happened to you this morning, Estelle? Normally you're here so early," asked Rilla, before realizing that Estelle's lateness could have been a result of living with the Weasleys instead of her parents. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Oh, just up late reading. Lost track of time, you know," Estelle answered before the silence could get too long. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "You mean up /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"early /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"reading?" Jess scoffed./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Maybe," said Estelle. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "How's, um, how's living with the Weasleys?" Jess asked awkwardly, wanting to make sure Estelle was okay, but unsure if she was overstepping a boundary./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "It's nice. It's been good to be away from the city," Estelle said through the hand that was stifling a yawn. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Got any food left?" Jacob asked and soon the talk turned away from Estelle, who shot a grateful look in Jacob's direction, and instead to quidditch. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "We have to win this year! Last year was awful, I nearly pitched myself from the broom after the final," Jess declared. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Yeah, we destroyed you guys!" Ashton said jokingly, remembering Slytherin's violent defeat against Ravenclaw in the semifinals of the House Cup the year previously. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "We have to beat Gryffindor this year! Their players are good, but their plays aren't, we've just got to outsmart them!" Jacob said with determination, earning nods from Jess and Estelle who joined him on the Ravenclaw House team. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "James Potter can play this year, though. If he's anything like his parents, you guys could be in trouble," Rilla reminded them. Rilla didn't play quidditch, but spent much of her spare time helping their team captain Paisley Underwood, the girl Estelle had nicked chocolate from, come up with new strategies. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "He's only second year, though. One good smash with the bludger and he'd be out like a light," Ashton said with a concerning amount of anticipation in his voice. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "No death plots this year, though, okay?" Rilla said. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Last time he flicks paper at me in the library, oh yes," muttered Ashton, who appeared not to have registered Rilla's comment./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Snatching a bit of Pumpkin Pasty and a Licorice Wand from the large pile that had been pushed over to Jacob, Estelle tucked her feet up onto the empty seat between her and Jacob and began to talk of /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The Hunger Games /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"with Jess and Rilla while Ashton pulled Jacob into a discussion about the most interesting ways to set a person's hair alight while they flew past you on a broomstick./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Do you think you could get a corporate sponsor? That would be the best way to ensure you could always get a parachute," Rilla put in, sitting on the ground leaning against Ashton's seat./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "What company would you want to sponsor you? Maybe like that MEC from Canada with all the mountaineering, hiking stuff," suggested Estelle./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "McDonald's," Jess said with an absolutely straight face./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Rilla and Estelle both burst out laughing. "Oh my God! You could say 'I'm loving it.' after every kill! That would be amazing!" Rilla said, choking out words around her laughter. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "I would eat the fries and use the Big Macs to lure the other tributes into traps. I read about that on Tumblr," Jess said. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Stop going on Tumblr!" Estelle and Rilla exclaimed in unison. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Yes, but if we use the Flaming Fanged Fidget-Spinner /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"with /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"a Slapping Sticky Hand-" Jacob was saying to Ashton. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "What on Earth are you going to do to a Fanged Fidget-Spinner?" Rilla cut in./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" The boys shared a quick glance that said quite plainly: /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"They can never know./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Um, nothing potentially dangerous," Jacob said quickly. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Are you guys ready for O.W.L.s?" Ashton said in an attempt to divert attention from his previous discussion./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Luckily, Estelle jumped on the question. "Of course! The test is cumulative, obviously, so Rilla and I combined the best of our notes from the last four years and then edited, re-wrote and duplicated them."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Oh! Speaking or re-writing, Rilla, did you bring those erasable ink things?" Ashton asked hopefully./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "You mean pens? I've got them," she said, digging through her trunk and pulling out a cluster of red, blue and black erasable pens wrapped neatly in a light green rubber band. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Thank you so much," Ashton said, already having dismantled as pen, removed its spring and begun to fix it to one of the many confiscated objects that surrounded him./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Estelle glanced out the window and saw the forest that now surrounded the tracks. Though light still fell through the trees, the place reminded her of her dream the night before and a desire to find more information overtook Estelle. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Estelle? You have that look again," Rilla informed her./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "What look?" asked Estelle, pulling herself from the window./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "The one that says you're desperate to figure something out. You can read, it's not rude to us," Rilla told her. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Are you sure?" Estelle asked, and though her face suggested she very, very much would like to read and would be rather disappointed if one of them decided that they wanted to talk to her, she tried to suppress it./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Yeah, of course, read your book!" Jess said./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Now without fear of neglecting those around her, Estelle reached over to one of the many books that hadn't fit into her trunk and pulled the one on magical mythology towards her. Snuggling into to seat, Estelle pulled her bookmark from the pages and began to read. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Magical mythology? Why are you reading that?" Ashton asked curiously, but Estelle was too far into her book to answer. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" She woke to the sound of rain pounding against the window panes and the sharp smack of a tiny hand against her face. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Estelle jolted upright sending a mountain of enchanted books floating lightly to the ground, "What?" she said, rubbing the red mark on her cheek./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "You hit her, you prat, you have to aim better next time," Jacob was saying to Jess, who was guilty hold a Slapping Sticky Hand. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "What have you done to my books?" Estelle demanded./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Ashton wanted to make a card tower of your face, but we didn't have any cards, so he enchanted the books, most helpfully in his opinion," Rilla explained./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "How exactly is that helpful?" Estelle asked, already reversing the enchantments./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Just think, with a Lightening Charm on them, they'll be so much easier to carry," Ashton told her./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "They'll also fly half way across the castle every time someone opens a window, but that's beside the point," said Jacob./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" The train came to a stop and an outline Hogsmead Station could be seen through the darkness of the night. They poured onto the platform, passing Rilla's struggling cat between them as they hurried towards the carriages to escape the falling rain. The group clustered into the least disgusting of the lot, rejoined by Mark./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Why exactly do you keep that thing?" Ashton asked Rilla, returning from the pile of pet cages on the edge of the platform./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "You love Ada," Rilla reminded him as the carriages pulled from the,station./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Not when she's attempting escape!" Ashton retorted, nursing the scratches that lined his arms./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "I still can't believe you named her after computer code," Estelle said./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Ada was the first code I learned!" Rilla said sentimentally./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Why are these things so disgusting?" Jess asked, peeling her arm away from the sticky seat of the carriage, distracting the group from their previous conversation. "Because you sit in them every year," Mark deadpanned. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Ha-ha. Very mature," said Jess, rolling her eyes./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "What'd you get from the assortment of banned stuff?" Estelle asked Ashton./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" He pulled a fistful of items from the pockets of his robes, "I think we might go along with the pen-spring-slapping-fidget-spinner-on-fire-thing, but Jacob estimates a thirty-four percent chance of success, so it's a work in progress."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" A few minutes later, the carriages arrived at the school and students began to spill into the Great Hall. Waving to Ashton and Mark, Estelle, Jess, Rilla and Jacob found their usual seats at the Ravenclaw table alongside their classmates. Soon, the soaked first years emerged from the doors, following Professor Longbottom to the front of the Hall./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" As the first years were Sorted, Estelle clapped alongside the rest of her house when students arrived in Ravenclaw and talked quietly to Jess. As Albus stepped up to the Sorting Hat and the Hall grew quiet in anticipation, Estelle caught sight of a rather strange expression on his face and suddenly felt as though Albus was not going to end up in Gryffindor like the rest of his family. After a moment's deliberation, the Hat confirmed Estelle's suspicions, placing Albus in Slytherin./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "That's strange. I'd thought he would have ended up in Gryffindor," remarked Jacob./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Does he act like a Slytherin?" Rilla asked Estelle./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "I don't know. He's certainly different from the rest of his family," said Estelle. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" The students buzzed, filling the Hall with chatter as Albus walked over to Slytherin table and it took a moment for the quiet to resume. The Sorting ended quickly and the start of term feast began. Estelle talked and ate merrily with her friends, but her dream remained at the back of her mind and she found herself anticipating the moment when she could read again. Soon, the feast was over and Estelle and Jacob stood to guide the new Ravenclaw to the common room/span/p 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the late update, I was attending a dance intensive on the West Coast and was completely wiped last week. But I'm back to the promised schedule now!

"The quickest and most direct route to Ravenclaw Tower is through here," said Jacob, leading the tiny first-years up the West Staircase.

"While there are other routes, it's best to use the Great Hall as a center point until you've figured out the rest of the castle," Estelle continued.

"And the staircases move, so keep an eye out."

They trudged up a staircase and down a passage, many of the first-years pointing excitedly at the moving portraits that lined the walls. There were fewer first-years than previous years, the seven boys and six girls appearing even smaller than they already were due to the emptiness of the corridor. Jacob and Estelle led the way to the Common Room, relaying the information that had been given to them by their prefects when they were first-years.

When the came to the entrance of the Common Room, a wooden door without a handle or knob, but instead an eagle-shaped knocker, they stopped and turned to the first-years.

"To enter the Common Room, you have to successfully answer the riddle the knocker will present," said Estelle.

"What happens if you get it wrong?" a small girl with dark, braided hair asked meekly, looking slightly afraid of the answer.

"You have to wait for someone else to figure it out, or you could try again," Jacob replied.

Many of the first-years looked terrified at the idea of, after getting into the 'smart house', being unable to decipher a riddle and therefore, trapped outside of their Common Room.

Jacob rapped the knocker against the door twice.

"What flies without seeing and cries without eyes?" the knocker asked.

Though the answer immediately struck both Estelle and Jacob, they both looked at each other, pretended to be bemused before turning to the first-years. "Have any ideas?" Estelle asked them.

"A cloud?" a taller boy with blue framed glasses suggested. The other first years nodded in agreement and Estelle presented the answer to the door, which swung open. The group stepped into the airy room mostly devoid of people and many of the first-years caught their breath as they caught sight of the sprawling grounds of Hogwarts.

"Dormitories are through the door over there, left for boys, right for girls, third door down for both of you," said Jacob indicating the door that stood beside the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw.

The first-years hurried up the staircases, leaving Jacob and Estelle standing at the entrance to the Common Room.

"I'm glad they figured it out. It would have been a little awkward to admit that we knew the answer," said Estelle.

"Yeah, but we knew they would figure it out eventually. And even if it took them forever, it's better than thinking you face public humiliation if you get the answer wrong," Jacob replied.

"Remember what Kelsey did with us?" Estelle asked him, smiling at the memory of their own prefect.

"'Then you stand outside until someone clever enough to figure it out comes along to save you,'" Jacob imitated. "God, she was an awful prefect."

"She really was, wasn't she? Didn't she get you in trouble fore answering some riddle sarcastically?"

"Yeah, what a prat," said Jacob as he and Estelle pushed open the door to the dormitories.

"See you tomorrow," Estelle said as she climbed the staircase on the right.

"See you," replied Jacob as he climbed the left one.

Estelle continued up the stairs to her dormitory where Rilla and Jess waited for her, ready for their customary first-night-back chat that typically stretched into the early hours of the morning. She pulled open the sixth door at the third landing of the stairs and stepped inside the room. Estelle walked over to her curtained bed set into the wall and pulled her pyjamas from her trunk before pushing it under her bed. She briefly gazed out at the starlit lake that was visible through the window over her bed before pulling on her pyjamas, a too big vintage Weird Sisters t-shirt and a pair of grey cotton shorts.

"Hey Georgia. Good summer?" Estelle asked one of the other girls who shared their dorm.

"Yeah. How was yours?" she replied, shyly brushing her wavy red hair away from her face.

"Fine," said Estelle, before Jess snatched open the curtains that hung over the nook that her bed was in.

"Come here!" Jess called to her. "I brought Twizzlers!"

"What are Twizzlers?" Estelle asked her as she climbed onto the bed where Rilla and Jess were already sitting.

Jess slapped her with one of the licorice ropes. "The best thing that's ever happened to you."

Rilla tugged the licorice from Jess before she could hit Estelle again. "How was that writing workshop, Jess?"

"Good. A few of my Muggle friends and I snuck out to go to a Lord of the Rings meetup."

"You had to sneak out? I thought you were in a minimally supervised college dorm," said Estelle

"Okay, we had to wait until the lady at the front desk turned around," admitted Jess.

"That must have been really difficult," Estelle said sarcastically.

"Please. For Jess, I'm sure it was," Rilla said jokingly.

"I'm not that clumsy! It's these dumb robes! They get in the way of everything!" Jess exclaimed, laughing around the licorice in her mouth.

"How was the meetup?" Rilla asked.

"Full of nerds who got slammed in the trivia contest." Jess folded her legs underneath her. "How was that figure skating thing, Rilla?"

"Blisters. Skates are murderous. But I won, so it was worth it" she replied. "But how was your summer with the Weasleys, Estelle? Did Potter chuck paper at you?"

"Not as much as usual," she said, smiling.

"How's it going with …" Jess paused uncharacteristically before continuing. "You know."

Estelle shrugged, fighting to keep her expression neutral, to keep the tears from falling from her eyes. She didn't care if Rilla and Jess saw her cry, but the rest of the girls in her dormitory were still walking around, talking and catching up with one another. "It's okay," she fought out at last, her voice sticking in her throat. She blanked out for a second and when her surroundings returned to focus, Estelle registered Jess talking to Rilla about boys with lots of eyebrow raising and 'knowing smiles'.

"So, Ashton," she was saying, "What's going on there?"

Rilla flushed red. "Nothing."

"Oh, right, I forgot. _Muffliato_. There now talk," Jess said, waving her wand to emit their conversation from the ears of their roommates.

"Okay, so I kind of like him," Rilla said.

"Kind of?" Jess asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, I like him," Rilla admitted,

"Talk," demanded Jess.

"He's smart. Like really smart. Like almost Ravenclaw smart. And he's so, so funny," Rilla told them, smiling into the hand that supported her chin.

"There's definitely more than that," Jess said.

"Yeah, okay. He reminds me of Kai. From The Lunar Chronicles," she said.

"Sarcasm to the point of starting massive space wars? Not sure that's a good thing," Estelle said.

"Why do guys make us such idiots? I have more important things to do than stare at some boy when he's not looking," Rilla said, though her tone was dreamy still.

"I don't think it's just when he's not looking," Jess said, her voice sounding concerned, but her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Rilla's head snapped up from her palm, her eyes wide. "He saw me staring at him?"

"Jess is taking the mick out of you, calm down," Estelle told her through the laugh she was trying to suppress.

"You little shit," said Rilla as Jess began rolling across the bed as a result of her laughter.

"How's it going with Jackson?" Estelle asked Jess, talking about her American boyfriend.

"I saw him at the writing thing," Jess said, wiping tears from her eyes. "But what about you, Estelle?"

"What about me?" Estelle asked warily.

"Who do you like?" Rilla explained.

"I don't know. No one right now," she replied.

"What about Jacob?" Jess asked, once again raising an eyebrow.

"We're just friends," she said. "And stop it with the eyebrow thing, it's creepy."

"I think he likes you. And my eyebrow thing is amazing."

"I really don't think so. We've just known each other for too long," said Estelle.

"Sure," said Jess, giving yet another eyebrow raise. "I'm sure there's absolutely nothing-"

She broke off as a pillow sailed through the curtains that covered the bed and struck in the face. "Shut it, we're trying to sleep!" Ashley yelled from the other side of the room, identifying herself as the pillow-thrower.

"I thought you cast _muffliato_ over us!" Rilla whispered.

"It might have been over the corner and not the rest of the room," admitted Jess.

"This is what happens when you're clumsy," Rilla told her.

"It was the robes! They got in the way!" Jess exclaimed.

"You're wearing pyjamas," Estelle told her.

"Whatever," Jess said, smiling at them. "Ashley's going to get what's coming for her." And with that, Jess slipped silently off of the bed and across the room to where Ashley lay, shrouded by the curtains that concealed her bed. With a silent _agumenti_ cast on the pillow, Jess thrust it back through the curtains quite forcefully.

"Merlin's ass!" Ashley screamed, before shooting a variety of jinxes through the curtains, which were blocked by Jess' Shield Charm and rebounded back on Ashley.

"Shit. Come here and help me fix this, Jess," Ashley said.

"Sure," Jess said, tugging aside the curtains to reveal Ashley, whose legs were quite floppy due to the large amount of Jelly Legs Jinxes cast.

When Ashley had been returned to normal, Jess walked back across the room and tossed Estelle and Rilla off her bed. "I'd say that was a fairly successful first night back."

With suppressed snorts of amusement, Rilla and Estelle walked back to their own beds and settled down for the night, each of them thinking of how happy they were to be back.

A/N: Yeah, this one is really short. I'm writing from the airport and just wanted to post something before I left. A longer chapter will come out within the next 5 ish days


	4. THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER

As I'm sure you guys have realized by now, the Beast Master kinda fell through. The story will be left incomplete due to my now very busy schedule.


End file.
